1

The HomeownerThe HomeownerThe HomeownerThe Homeowner

T he team worked with the Pra-

diths, the homeowner. Mr. Pra-

dith Chaiyasith used to live with his

family; his wife, mother and his son

in an old small house. The half of the

house was made-shift from wood and

metal sheets and it was supposedly a

temporal home. But he realized that

he did not have enough income to

build another, new and better house

after all. The family had to stay in

this house for almost 20 years. Rain-

ing season was the most difficult time

as the deteriorating house did not pro-

tect them from the wind, rain and the

mosquitoes that follow the rain.

Though Mr. Pradith was born blind

on his left eye, he never took it as a

problem believing that he would

build a new house someday.

The Team Builds for HopeThe Team Builds for HopeThe Team Builds for HopeThe Team Builds for Hope

March is summer and very hot in

Thailand. Yet the 12 volunteers

worked hard hoping to help construct

the better house and future of the Pra-

dith family. The team showed the

tremendous teamwork while working

on a tight schedule as well. On the

first and second day, they made the

foundation and the floor under the

direct and strong sun light. From the

third day onwards, their primal task

was to mix and make cement and lay

blocks to make walls. The volunteers

were so serious building a real house

for the first time; this is not a child’s

play. They managed to complete

most of the framework only within

four and a half days. Four walls

seemed so beautiful reflecting all the

passions put into them.

“As If I Can See...”“As If I Can See...”“As If I Can See...”“As If I Can See...”

At the house dedication ceremony,

the team celebrated the completion

of their tasks and presented the key

symbolizing transfer of the new

house ownership to the family. Mr.

Pradith gave a heartwarming com-

ment; “I have no word to thank all of

you. We finally came to such a won-

derful moment I dreamed for so long.

I can see a better future clearly as if I

was not visually impaired.”

Issue # 21 April 2011

J apan Hope Builders, consists of 12 volunteers gathered

from throughout Japan, have returned from Chiang Mai of

Thailand on March 14, after completing a house. Like the last

summer’s trip, the team received financial support from one

of Japan’s leading construction companies, Daiwa House In-

dustry Co., Ltd. Since last year, Habitat in the northern Thai-

land has been working on their house design modifying it

from 6m×6m (36 ㎡) to 6m×9m (54 ㎡), based on the requests

from homeowners and assessments. The team worked to-

gether with the homeowners and skilled workers to built this

bigger sized house. (Shintaro Yamamoto, HFH Japan)

HFHJ NewsletterHFHJ NewsletterHFHJ Newsletter

Japan Hope Builders with the homeowner family

Piling up blocks carefully Homeowner’s old house

Hand-in-hand bucket relay

Ribbon-cutting at House Dedication Ceremony

Corporate Support : Japan Hope Builders 2011 Spring @ ThailandCorporate Support : Japan Hope Builders 2011 Spring @ ThailandCorporate Support : Japan Hope Builders 2011 Spring @ ThailandCorporate Support : Japan Hope Builders 2011 Spring @ Thailand

2

In April, Habitat Japan started two projects in the northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Japan Plat-form. It is the third time for Habitat Japan to directly imple-ment an oversea’s project. We send three staffs from Habitat Japan to Sri Lanka and develop the projects, cooperating with Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka. (Shintaro Yamamoto, HFH Japan)

About Sri LankaAbout Sri LankaAbout Sri LankaAbout Sri Lanka

S ri Lanka is located to the southeast of In-

dia. The country was

colonized by the British

Empire in 1796 and went through the Dominion of Ceylon,

and in1972, it declared republic independence and changed

its name to Sri Lanka, which means “Resplendent Island.”

Sri Lanka is a country with vast variety in nature, ethnicity,

history and culture. It is popular as a resort destination, fa-

mous for spicy curries, aromatic Ceylon tea, beautiful

beaches, high-quality jewels, and so on. Also Sri Lankan

and Japanese governments have a good relationship.

Core Houses for Peace Building in The NorthCore Houses for Peace Building in The NorthCore Houses for Peace Building in The NorthCore Houses for Peace Building in The North

Since 1986, the country has been divided by the ethnic con-

flict between the Sinhala, whose majority are Buddhists and

constitute of about 70% of the country’s population, and the

Tamil whose majority are Hindus. The situation had evolved

into civil war and many people in the northern and eastern

areas were internally displaced. When the Sri Lankan mili-

tary interference ended the war in 2009, many people re-

turned from refugee camps to start a new life, but instead

they only found their homeland ravaged and family mem-

bers still separated. The people are living in temporary

houses made with straw, decayed logs and branches and

plastic sheets unable to keep the elements out. Habitat Japan

responded to these internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the

Jaffna district of the Northern Province, aiming to support

resettlement through building houses while preventing the

frustrated citizens to resort back to another civil war.

Shelter Kits for Flood Relief in The East Shelter Kits for Flood Relief in The East Shelter Kits for Flood Relief in The East Shelter Kits for Flood Relief in The East

In January and February of 2011, the eastern Sri Lanka

suffered the flood caused by monsoon and 1.25 million

people were victimized. Habitat Japan plans to deliver

1,000 shelter kits in the severely damaged Batticaloa dis-

trict, and to support the affected households to build the

emergency shelters and restore the damaged houses until

about June.

HFHJ HFHJ HFHJ NewsletterNewsletterNewsletter

Habitat Japan to Start Two Projects in Sri LankaHabitat Japan to Start Two Projects in Sri LankaHabitat Japan to Start Two Projects in Sri LankaHabitat Japan to Start Two Projects in Sri Lanka

HFHJ HFHJ HFHJ NewsletterNewsletterNewsletter

M s. Ayumi Imai tells us “I want

everyone to be happy!”

Ms. Imai works for veteran travel

guidebook publisher Chikyu no Aruki-

kata (“Globe Trot-

ter”). She works at

the company’s divi-

sion of organizing

overseas volunteer

programs and pub-

lished its pam-

phlet. She has

made efforts

to promote

Global Vil-

lage (GV) trips since 2008.

In planning for each program, what

Ms. Imai puts her priority is that volun-

teers get to mingle with the local peo-

ple, and feel they are making a genuine

contribution to society. There is a rea-

son for her to believe this. “Volunteering

overseas is kind of a daunting task, and

when I first started, I wasn’t sure if I

could actually do anything useful,” said

Ms. Imai, reflecting on her college

years. Because she experienced this

herself, she was able to understand

what students are concerned when go-

ing overseas, and she sets out to plan

activities that would be enjoyable for

the young volunteers.

Ms. Imai likes the idea of GV that

people from all over Japan come to-

gether with local families and NGO

staff members in the areas they visit

and become one under a single, clear

objective – to build.

“The most important thing in plan-

ning the trips is to think of a way to

bring smiles to the faces of everyone

involved. Planning programs that will

bring joy to people is what really makes

my job worthwhile,” says Ms. Imai of

her work. Her passion of “building

smiles” will keep going and seems

never to end. (by Mayuko Kuwata, Ao-

yama Gakuin Univ. CClub)

Diamond-Big Co., Ltd. HabiHabiHabiHabi----BitoBitoBitoBito

Japan UpdateJapan UpdateJapan Update

Returnees and their temporary shelter in Jaffna

Ms. Ayumi ImaiMs. Ayumi ImaiMs. Ayumi ImaiMs. Ayumi Imai

3

HFHJ HFHJ HFHJ NewsletterNewsletterNewsletter

The Fujino Project has completed at the house dedication ceremony this February. Based on "local production for local consumption," the traditional long house called Nagaya marked a new beginning for the four families in Kanagawa. One of the homeowner Mr. Kazunori Kobayashi shared his thoughts with us. (HFH Japan)

Q. About Long House Construction

All the construction materials were natu-

ral and collected locally, we had to spend

a very long time looking for local organic

rice farmers for the hay mixed into the

mud walls and harvesting bamboos in a

low-impact ways. Thanks to many peo-

ples’ help, we could come to complete

our new house.

Q. About Completion

I was deeply moved that hundreds of

people showed up at the house dedication

ceremony, I am still in shock but in a very

good way words can’t explain. I believe

this sensation comes from my apprecia-

tion for the volunteers and their kind sup-

port, and also my excitement towards the

fact this house will continue to mean a lot

for many of us in coming years.

Q. About Life in a Nagaya

One of my simple pleasures in this new

life style is when I visit with the

neighbors in a communal area. Especially

after the earthquake in March, I feel safe

and content knowing that I have friends

nearby who we can lean on one another.

This secure feeling plays a big role in

keeping my family as a team.

Q. Message for the Readers

We had to overcome any hardships but

we also gained a lot from sticking to the

tradition, using organic and locally avail-

able natural materials, and revolving

around the shared spaces. I’d say that our

project is a success only if we can convey

the happiness we get from growing with

this project. Please feel free to visit us and

the house you volunteered to help build.

Thank you very much for everything!

A Japanese Traditional Long House Completed !! A Japanese Traditional Long House Completed !! A Japanese Traditional Long House Completed !! A Japanese Traditional Long House Completed !! ---- Fujino Project Fujino Project Fujino Project Fujino Project ----

Fair Trade Fashion ShoFair Trade Fashion ShoFair Trade Fashion ShoFair Trade Fashion Showwww「「「「HabiHabiHabiHabi☆☆☆☆CollectionCollectionCollectionCollection」＠ 」＠ 」＠ 」＠ Harajuku, Tokyo(2/10)Harajuku, Tokyo(2/10)Harajuku, Tokyo(2/10)Harajuku, Tokyo(2/10)

F ebruary 10th, 7 chapters of Habitat

Japan’s CC & CClub held a fair

trade fashion show, themed “your

small step will change the world” in

Harajuku, Tokyo, a popular area

among young people.

Fair trade is the movement to em-

power the people working under harsh

condition, by paying them fair wages

for their labors and ultimately they can

lead a decent life. Similarly, Habitat’s

activities are to support people suffer-

ing from poor living conditions;

“poverty” is the common notion for

both activities. CC & CClub carried

out this event for letting people know

about the poverty around the world,

and as many as 272 young people

showed up on the day of this event.

At the event, explanation about the

fair trade was given, and students de-

bated on the importance of interna-

tional cooperation and the ways to get

involved. “I want to do something

myself”, “I feel like taking some ac-

tion” were the responses from the au-

dience.

One of the organizers Mr. Tomonori

Ozaki, a sophomore at Aoyama-

Gakuin University gave us his com-

ment: “Things you can do alone may

be quite small but we can pursue a big

goal when lots of people get together,

I really feel so. I’d like to keep acting

by thinking what I can do as a student,

and would like to make contribution to

the society with everyone in Habitat

Japan’s CC&CClubs.”

Having the event turned out to be the

biggest event our chapters organized in

Kanto area in history, we came to be-

lieve the great power and the potential

those students have to realize Habitat’s

goal of “a world where everyone has a

decent place to live”. (HFH Japan)

Japan UpdateJapan UpdateJapan Update

4

HFHJ NewsletterHFHJ NewsletterHFHJ Newsletter

Service LearningService LearningService LearningService Learning @ @ @ @ Habitat JapanHabitat JapanHabitat JapanHabitat Japan (2/2)(2/2)(2/2)(2/2)

LIST OF DONATIONS AND GRANTS

（2011.1.1-3.31） *Please refer to the attached list for

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Editor’s NoteEditor’s NoteEditor’s NoteEditor’s Note

An 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the

coast of Japan on Friday, March 11. The resulting

aftershocks and tsunami killed more than 13,000

people and 14,000 more are still missing.

Habitat Japan has decided to provide relief aid,

and currently, our disaster response team is as-

sessing the needs to prepare the program that

serves the victims promptly. (HFH Japan)

S pring means

graduation

for approximately 200 Habitat support-

ers at 19 school chapters across Japan.

One of the students who passed her com-

mencement, Ms. Nozomi Arima of Shizu-

oka University of Art and Culture chapter has shared her

story with us: “Experience with Habitat led me to act and

do what I can, even if it seems too small. I learnt the im-

portance of helping one another.” Habitat Japan’s Youth

Programs support Japanese youths to explore the world

through volunteerism, experience the cultural exchange

and learn about development aids. (HFH Japan)

F ebruary 2nd, 5 nineth

graders at Tokyo

Jogakkan middle school

came to have their ser-

vice learning at Habitat

Japan office. The stu-

dents first learnt about

Habitat at Global Festa

held at Hibiya Koen Park

last fall, and this time, they further learnt about our work

through volunteering at the office. The students responded to

the staff explaining the pleasures and hardships behind the

works of building houses with the people around the world;

“the experiencing the Global Village program seems to offer a

lot for the participating volunteers while they help and share

with the people in need of houses” and “I’d like to try on the

challenge in the near future.” Their curiosity didn’t end at the

programs, but wanted to know how and why some of the staff

started their career at Habitat. While they looked the part of

regular young kids who are into regular young kids stuff, they

all left the office so motivated promising “to come back any-

time if help is needed.” (HFH Japan)

AnnouncementAnnouncementAnnouncementAnnouncement

Coming TWP Schedule

■Date & Time: Start at 19:30 on April 21, 2011 ■Place: Ben’s Café (at Takadanobaba)

■Topic: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami recovery,

Updates on new projects in Sri Lanka, etc.

Since established in 1976, Habitat for Humanity, as an International NGO aiming to build homeowner’s dignity and independence through building communities, has built 400,000 houses, without regard to race, religion or personal background. Now, Habitat has activities about 100 countries and regions, and is building a house every 21 minutes in the world.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT!

Japan UpdateJapan UpdateJapan Update

1/6 JCCハイチ合同募金 976,662

1/25 藤井 信也 5,000

1/31 ﾕﾅｲﾃｯﾄﾞﾋﾟｰﾌﾟﾙ㈱ 1,073

1/31 一般財団法人ｼﾞｬｽﾄ･ｷﾞﾋﾞﾝｸﾞ･ｼﾞｬﾊﾟﾝ 7,895

2/18 （特活）国際協力NGOｾﾝﾀｰ 6,357

2/21 大和ﾊｳｽ工業㈱川越支店 24,575

2/24 関西学院 Eco-Habitat 139,796

3/04 Spring Love 春風 20,000

3/04 Oakwood 33,908

3/31 一般財団法人ｼﾞｬｽﾄ･ｷﾞﾋﾞﾝｸﾞ･ｼﾞｬﾊﾟﾝ 1,506

3/08 小林満知子 30,000

3/17 立命館大学 （Rits Habitat） 73,139

3/31 ㈱インテージ 50,000

3/22 （特活）国際協力NGOｾﾝﾀｰ 10,378

#401 CHARI Sendagaya

1-13-11 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051

Tel: 03-6459-2070 / Fax: 03-6459-2071

URL: www.habitatjp.org / Email: info@habitatjp.org

Published by：Hiroshi Oda Edited by：K. Yamazaki, N. Takahashi, S. Yamamoto, F. Nakagawa, Y Higuchi, J. Tam

■ ■ ■ ■ Biggest Damage in the Country’s History Biggest Damage in the Country’s History Biggest Damage in the Country’s History Biggest Damage in the Country’s History

HFHJ HFHJ HFHJ NewsletterNewsletterNewsletter

REUTERS/Kim

F ebruary 11th, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the

coast of Japan. The resulting aftershocks and tsunami

destroyed homes, crushed cars and killed hundreds of peo-

ple and left unprecedented levels of damage.

On April 11th, a month after quake and tsunami, the Na-tional Police Agency announced that 13,116 people were

sacrificed and more than 14,000 people still missing. In Fu-

kushima Prefecture, Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants were

crippled and radioactive substance leaks became a serious

problem. As a secondary disaster, people living near the

plants have been forced to evacuate from their own homes.

The refugees from quake and tsunami have spread 18 pre-fectural governments and the number exceeds more than

147,000.

REUTERS/Aly Song, courtesy Trust.org-Alertnet

REUTER/Kim Kyung Hoon, courtesy,

Trust-org-Alertnet

※ ※ ※ ※ Further information and updates will be announced on our web site.

Toyoma Iwaki,Fukushima

Japan Update Japan Update Japan Update Special EditionSpecial EditionSpecial Edition

■■■■ Habitat Japan Disaster ReliefHabitat Japan Disaster ReliefHabitat Japan Disaster ReliefHabitat Japan Disaster Relief

T he first thing the disaster victims need is house in a community

where they can lead life as humans.

Currently, Habitat Japan is conducting

the needs assessment in areas like Mi-

yagi, Iwate and Fukushima Prefec-

tures. In cases of Miyagi and Iwate

Prefectures, the phase is still consid-

ered the initial emergency relief but

the operation is expected to gradually

shift for housing over short period of

time. The problem in that is cleaning

the area to secure enough land without

debris and fit for building houses. It is

nearly an impossible task for the in-

jured and the elderly, but also very

difficult for the able bodies due to lack

of tools and help. In order to respond

to this issue, Habitat Japan is preparing

to mobilize domestic and international

volunteers, to help clean the areas and

houses that are still safe for living, and

to distribute the “Clean-up Kit” con-

sisting of various tools needed to re-

start homes. We also recognize the

problems in Japanese Government’s

plan to construct temporal housing;

providing help in housing, sanitation

and health management for the evacu-

ees, support for elderly living alone

and children, and developments in

newly rebuild communities are

amongst our future plan of action.

Relief SuppliesRelief SuppliesRelief SuppliesRelief Supplies

Delivering blanckets to Tochigi Pref. Fire Training School

M arch 30th, 1,000 blankets

were delivered to To-

chigi Prefecture Fire Training School in cooperation with

European Union (EU). 2,689 people in total including

2,587 evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture are now forced

to live in the evacuation centers. The blankets from over-

seas were carried in under the attendances of European

Civil Protection Mechanism, a part of EU organization that

provides disaster reliefs, and Habitat Japan. These blankets

helped to warm the people's

mind and bodies. On April

6, Habitat Japan also coor-

dinated to deliver 112

sleeping-bags and 14 tents

donated by EU to Miyagi

Prefecture.

HFHJ HFHJ HFHJ NewsletterNewsletterNewsletter

LIST OF DONATIONS DESIGNED TO JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI（- 2011.3.31）

The donation meant for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami will support what Habitat Japan helps families

affected by this disaster. Thank you for your continuous support.

3/16 辻村 朋大 1,000

3/16 本庄 彩 20,000

3/17 タム 順子 10,000

3/18 京都外国語大学 （Kyoto Gaidai Habitat） 255,627

3/17 仁科 友祐 10,000

3/17 前後 薫 100,000

3/17 湯泉 志緒 5,000

3/22 井田 昌彦 10,000

3/22 エイクマ ヒロミ 5,000

3/22 田中 順子 10,000

3/23 小澤 宏 5,000

■■■■Donation : Banking Information

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

Bank Name：：：：Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ Bank, Shinjuku-Nishi Branch Office

Account Number： ： ： ： 0105112 (Savings)

Account Holder：：：：トクヒトクヒトクヒトクヒ））））ハビタットハビタットハビタットハビタット フォーフォーフォーフォー ヒューマニティヒューマニティヒューマニティヒューマニティ ジャパンジャパンジャパンジャパン

◇◇◇◇ For official receipts, please notify us your name and contact information.

3/22 新井 ルミ子 1,000

3/22 山本 ひとみ 10,000

3/22 大和ﾊｳｽ工業㈱川越支店 9,500

3/22 竹中 聡志 50,000

3/25 鹿野 慎介 5,000

3/28 川邊 悠平 10,000

3/29 牧野 けい 30,000

3/29 神戸市外国語大学 (Kobe Gaidai Habitat) 62,083

3/30 Asia Pulp & Paper Group 100,000,000

3/30 中瀬 ケイコ 50,000

3/31 飯田 恵美 5,000

Small Gestures, Together Builds Life. Let’s Rebuild Tohoku.Small Gestures, Together Builds Life. Let’s Rebuild Tohoku.Small Gestures, Together Builds Life. Let’s Rebuild Tohoku.Small Gestures, Together Builds Life. Let’s Rebuild Tohoku.

Habitat Japan has assessed the damage caused by the quake and tsunami .

To respond effectively, we need your help.

Please make a donation to help Habitat support families affected by this disaster.

Your kind support would be highly appreciated.

※※※※ Once the transfer is completed, please notify us that your donation funds are meant

for the Japan Quake Relief. Also, please include your name and contact information

when you arrange the transfer.

Japan Update Japan Update Japan Update Special EditionSpecial EditionSpecial Edition